


Destcember: Fireteam Lily

by Chaos_Crazy



Category: Destiny (Video Games)
Genre: Cocky Lesbians, Destcember, Destcember 2018, F/F, Hurt/Comfort, Polyamory, Survival, Violations of the Geneva Convention, Violence, writing challenge, writing prompts
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-02
Updated: 2018-12-09
Packaged: 2019-09-05 21:08:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 6,933
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16818490
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chaos_Crazy/pseuds/Chaos_Crazy
Summary: A series of drabbles written for my destiny ocs. Unfinished until next destcember, where I will pick up where I left off.





	1. Guardian and Ghost

Day One: Guardian and Ghost

Celeste did her best to stave off the whimpering. She always hated the whimpering that came with crying. She choked on her own breath, desperate to hold in tears, desperate to keep herself silent and hidden. Out of sight, out of mind.

Out of sight, out of mind.

The cold and dark corner she had driven herself into lit up with a faint blue light for a few seconds, as Nightingale digitized in front of her.

“Come on, Celeste. You’re going to be late. Chin up now, the Traveller never makes mistakes.” She cheered, although only with half her heart.

“This isn’t the Traveller’s mistake,” She said, muffled by her legs pressed against her face. “This is Zavala.”

“Zavala’s not gonna put you with someone you hate--”

“This isn't about me!” She burst out, lashing out and slamming her first against the wall behind her. “They’re going to hate me. Now, or later. I’m practically useless as a guardian and all I ever did was ‘cause trouble in my life and now everything is just so insane and new and I hate it I just want to be some pointless little--”

“Hey!” Her ghost cut her off, flying directly in front of her face, a few inches before her nose.

Her lips quiver, her body trembling as she just stares into the singular eye of her ghost. Then she sobs again, hiding her face in her knees. She sobs, sucks in a breathe, sobs, sucks in a breath…

And then her mind clears. The tears are still falling, wrenching pain still in her chest and in her wrist. But something dissipates thought, leaves her silent in her own mind. Black slowly fills with white, and at first it’s only a far off ring in her ear.

Then the noise expands, widens across her vision, turning into a falcetta song. The voices drop then, going vertical in her mind as they deepen, a soft choir in an unspeakable language. Warmth touches across her skin, like cleansing heat on her flesh, wiping away dead skin and impurities that haunt her.

“Eyes up, Guardian.” Nightingale says. She looks up from her knees, at the single eye glowing in the dark. She wipes her tears off on her sleeve, then slowly stands up on shaky knees. She opens the door to that random supply closet, and steps out into the empty hall.

“Show me the way Nightingale. I need to meet my fireteam, like it or not.”


	2. The Last City

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fireteam Lily offers to help with New Year's celebrations.Day Two: The Last City

Day Two: The Last City

Team Lily was always known for trying to help out around the city. They sort of made a point of pride out of being humble, never staying in the tower too long. Why Seras had decided to volunteer as a chef for a noodle stand during new years celebrations, she had no idea. Still, Lilith and Celeste had follow suite.

Right now, Seras was preparing a full family order of the seafood special, while Lilith and Celeste worked to manage the line. When they had first arrived, Seras had quickly handed each of them a red envelope with 88 small pieces of Glimmer for each. Celeste had thanked her casually, while Lilith remained completely perplexed by this holiday tradition no one had informed her about.

As they took their places on either side of the stand, Celeste explained it was an asian tradition specifically, and Lilith had nodded like that explained everything, even though it hadn’t.

By now the fireworks had fully kicked up, launching all across the night sky of the city, nearly touching the Traveller with their beautiful explosions of gold, red and orange. The combat instinct to hit the ground from an explosion had worn off at this point, and now they were left in a comfortable awe.

Several citizens kept thanking them for their service. For Celeste it was constantly a matter of “don’t thank me.” For Lilith it was awkward as all hell, accepting every thanks with a “don’t mention it” or “it’s only my duty.” 

She envied the cold way that Celeste had of blowing things off.

By the time the fireworks had cleared out, as the city had slowly died down, families retreating inside from the cold winter air to spend the rest of the night with each other, Seras beckoned for the two to gather at the stand and take their seats.

“You know what time it is,” She said with a sinister stare as she finished putting out three bowls of noodles. The noodles themselves were an orangish brown in color, pieces of cooked steak and vegetables mixed in. The smell alone was enough to make their eyes water. “Fireteam Lily’s age old tradition.”

“It’s not age old, and this is why I let you die on the battlefield.” Celeste remarked as she pulled her chopsticks apart, then pointed them accusingly at Seras, as if the action alone would shoot her dead on the spot.

Seras’ ghost digitized next to her head. “Hey Dickinson,” She asked her. “Is this tradition an age old?”

“Most certainly is, definitely is, absolutely positive swear it on the traveller.” Her ghost said, staring down Celeste the entire time. Celeste only grumbled, taking a mouthful of noodles and stuffing it into her mouth.

Lilith took her chopsticks, sighing deeply and closing her eyes, praying to the Traveller above her head that she’d survive the meal. Then she took a larger portion than Celeste, eager to get this challenge over with.

Celeste immediately felt challenged, and stuffed more noodles into her mouth, slurping them down with a disgusting noise. Seras sat watching, patiently eating small portions with an amused look on her face.

Fire noodles were a slow burn, making Celeste regret her life with every passing second. Seras remained unphased, even as Lillith panted and drooled from the heat of the spice. Celeste looked away from Seras, as a fatal error, and Seras placed a bottle of hot sauce in her hand. Thinking it was a generous glass of water, Celeste took an enormous gulp, then shrieked at the top of her lungs as she spat it out on the counter.

“I’LL FUCKING KILL YOU!” She shrieked, having to be held back by Lillith grabbing her collar and pulling her back.

“Finish the challenge, I’m suffering too.” She said, as Sappho materialized and gave the Titan a pitiful look.

Celeste gulped down the last of her bowl of noodles, while Seras was only halfway through hers and still not phased. Lillith did her best to force down the rest of the food, then immediately began begging for milk, water, a knife to cut off her tongue, literally anything to get the pain to go away.

Seras only hummed as she kept eating her noodles. By the time she had finished, the two were slumped against the counter, crying and moaning in pain. Then, and only then, did Seras offer them the generous mercy of a glass of milk. The two drank it down eagerly, as if the very nectar of the Traveller were offered to them.

Once the glasses were completely empty, each refusing to swallow a mouthful to alleviate the spice, Seras let out a characteristic giggle.

“You both survive the challenge, again! I’m so proud of my fireteam.” She said, a cocky smirk on her face. Celeste gulped down her milk.

“One day I’ll fucking kill you.” Celeste said, knowing damn well she’d never even think of it.

Lillith gulped next and stood up. “Come on now, let’s clean up and head to the tower. I think we’ve both earned a little bit of sleep.” She said, watching the faces of her friends light up with gentle smiles.


	3. Living Without The Light

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fireteam Lily, in the aftermath of Ghaul's invasion

Day Three: Living Without The Light 

Seras shakes as she falls against the rocks in the caves, not more than a few dozen miles out from the city by this point. Her feet and arms ache, her breath short and her eyes stinging from Traveller knows what. She pushes herself as far in the cave as she can, the sun slowly setting in the distance. Dickinson stays out of sight, too weak now to stay in view for too long. 

She takes out her sidearm, checks the ammunition she managed to scavenge from a guardian camp she had seen beforehand. It’s just enough for her to get through another skirmish, if she’s careful. Her armor is torn up, nearly useless save the insulation from the weather it’s still giving her. Her knife remains sharp and undamaged, the smallest bit of luck for her.

Then she hears the foot steps, loud and heavy, armor plates clacking together. She pulls back the slide on the sidearm to chamber a bullet, holding her knife in an underhanded grip. Slowly, quietly she crawls her way to the edge of the cave, looking out from the wall just a bit, to see an armored greave, too thin to be a cabal leg, but red enough to be a psion.

She steps out, gun outstretched, and freezes. She recognizes the woman instantly, electric blue hair and bright green eyes, black tattoos on her cheek. She lowers the gun, her mouth gaping behind her mask in disbelief.

“Lillith? Is that you?” Lillith drops what she was holding, a cabal war beast being dragged behind her, and dives forward with her arms out, wrapping Seras in a hug. Seras immediately returns the affection, tears stinging her eyes at the least expected gift. 

“I thought you were dead…” Lillith whispers, holding her almost too tight, gripping the burnt cloak in her fists. She wants to cry, but even alone, with her greatest friends, Lillith always has trouble crying.

Seras tries to pull away. “Please, Lillith, it’s not safe out in the open.” She pulls her along, as Lillith reaches down and grabs the dead animal again, dragging it with her. The cave entrance is narrow, but just big enough for a titan to slip through. Especially one missing a shoulder pad. With no shortage of effort they manage to drag the beast in.

“You can skin and eat this thing right?” Lillith asks, and Seras almost wants to chuckle. Was Lillith just totally unprepared for how she’d have to dress her kill? Seras opened her mouth to answer, when they heard another, familiar voice outside the cave.

“Hello?” It called out, straight into the open. The two of them froze for a moment. It obviously wasn’t Cabal, if they Cabal were here they’d be sending out warbeasts or carpet bombing the area.

“Hello!?” The second call out, and they recognized who it was. The two charged out from the cave as fast as they could, running across the grassy hills to find the source of the voice.

This whole place would be beautiful, were they not forced to be here.

Cresting over a large hill and looking down, they saw the pale blonde hair of Celeste, her skin a more vibrant shade of blue in the falling sunlight. “Celeste!” Lillith immediately called out, running down the hill to her. Celeste, the submachine gun in her hand rattling. When she saw Lillith she dropped it entirely, running up to her and embracing her.

Seras walked up to the two of them at the center of the slope. “It’s not safe, grab that gun and come with us.” Celeste nodded, understanding. She took the gun, and followed the two back to the cave.

With a dead warbeast at the center of them, and now an omolon submachine gun for them to share, things didn’t look quite so bad. The three stretched their hands out, clasping them tightly. Each of them trembled in the others grip as they sat down in a circle.

“It’s…,” Seras began. “It’s gonna be okay. We have, well we have my knife, Lillith is here to fight for us, we all remember her teaching us to throw a punch right?” She giggles, trying to bring up fond memories, to replace the fresh wounds that recent ones brought.

“Now we just. Need some firewood.” Seras began to stand up.

“Don’t worry about that yet. Cabal have genetically engineered the meat of warbeasts to be devoured uncooked, just in case of emergencies. It’s perfectly safe.” She said, nudging her down to sit.

Seras nodded, but could see in Lillith’s eyes the desperation not to cry. She could see Celeste, retreating into her shell like she usually does. She could feel herself, turning into something distant, like she did all those years ago when she travelled.

She drew the knife and gave it a flourish to test the balance, a force of habit despite her being more familiar with a knife than with the arm that held it. She placed the knife into the underside of the beast, just under the neck, and slowly began to cut.

“It’ll be okay, it’ll be okay…” She whispered to herself, her eyes drawing in, and focusing on every perfect line that she cut.  
Now was not the time to panic.


	4. Little Joys

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lillith has a lot of trouble with insomnia.

Day Four: Little Joys

Lillith had a tendency to stay up way too late at night, working on….almost anything, just to keep busy. She said she always felt restless at night, like there was something holding her down and she needed to move. Fortunately, she always had a project, or something else in the room to help her.

The dormitory was almost pitch black, were it not for the city lights outside the window and the blue glow of the fishtank next to her. The frame in front of her she had volunteered to fix up about an hour ago, but she knew that it just needed replacement parts.

Still, she felt determined to find a work around of some kind. The torso of the bot was now currently sitting on their coffee table, all the parts strewn out in a controlled form of chaos. She was doing her best to stay quiet, working only with the finer tuned parts of the frame to keep from waking her friends.

Too bad she had done it anyway. She felt a pair of cool lips against her check, and a nuzzle against her temple. “Baby,” Seras said, raspy and tired. “Come to bed already. Celeste misses you.” Lillith looked over at her, the pale blue of her skin a darker shade in the lighting.

Seras gave her a sad, tired look, gently pulling on her shoulder to try and get her out of the chair. Then she felt weight on the opposite arm, turning to see Celeste, her pale blonde hair tinted azure in the light, her eyes tired and needy and lips formed into a pout.

“I need you Lillith. And you need sleep.” Celeste pulls on her arm, desperately trying to move her. Lillith sighs deeply, caving to the pitiful look that Celeste is giving her. She places the tools down and stands up, her arms wrapped around Celeste as she awkwardly waddles back to bed with her, Seras keeping her hands on her back and shoulders as she moves.

Then Celeste pulled her down into bed, Seras picking up the blanket to be pulled over all three of them. With Celeste snuggled up in Lillith’s arms, resting her head on her chest, and Seras wrapping her arm around Lillith to put a comforting hand on Celeste’s hip, Lillith found no trouble slowly falling asleep.

As she did, she could only think about how much she loved her fireteam, and the vague scent of Lilies they always carried.


	5. Black and White

Day Five: Black and White

Celeste ran the blade across the chest of the opposing Warlock, in purple robes and stuck up against a wall, desperately trying to reload. Infinity’s Edge cut cleanly, sending a pulse of solar energy through and annihilating the guardian. Their ghost then materialized, and she gave them a little wave, then she leaped up the wall in front of her.

A small flex in her mind, and a billow of heat sent her raising up, gliding onto a sleek white platform. The Vex were always exact about the designs on Nessus. What she saw below her made her eyes widen, a shaking eagerness overcoming her.

There stood Lillith at the center of a valley, against three other titans, the Crown-splitter resting against her shoulder.

Lillith ducked suddenly, a hammer of sol flying overhead, then turned with her elbow out, catching another titan in the stomach. She swiftly kicked him in the center of the chest, sending him flying back, then turned around, swing the sword off her shoulder the extra momentum, as she struck down a Striker just before he unleashed the fist of havoc.

The Sunbreaker charges her, coalescing light to bring the hammer to the size of a maul, swinging it wide and fast for her. She holds out the sword, catching the hammer with the cocoon of void energy protecting the blade, pushes downward, and then slams forward with her shoulder, a brief burst of void energy destroying the Sunbreaker. 

The last Titan stands up, aiming the pulse rifle at her. She solidifies void energy into her fist, then turns and flings it outward. The opposing Titan jumps and takes to the air, but the grenade already tracks him, latching onto his foot, exploding and then imploding, leaving him with nothing but his ghost behind. 

Celeste smiles wickedly at the scene. “LILLITH!” She cries out, excited and bloodthirsty, her smile turning to a cocky smirk.

“Warlock, I suggest you back off now--” Shaxx says over her comm, but she outright ignores him.

Lillith moves slowly, the sword resting on her shoulder again, as she casually waltzes to the center of the valley. “Celeste?” She calls back, as if this is just a regular occurence.

“Today, you fall.” Celeste levelled Infinity’s Edge with Lillith’s helmet. The well of Solar light overflowed inside of her, spilling out first from her back into great fiery wings, then into her eyes, as balls of inferno, and then onto her blade, wrapping a clone around it. Her free hand reached out to the hilt, drawing forth her second sword, her Dawnblade.

Then she lept off from the cliff face, gliding her way to Lillith, who only lowered her stance. Then she aimed the blades forward, flexed her mind, and turned to a straight beam of fire. Lillith jumped, propelling herself backward on traces of Light, until her back hit against a wall.

Celeste turned upward, leaping off the ashen grounds beneath her where Lillith had been, and launched herself forward. Lillith put her legs against the wall behind her, summoned forth the Void Light in her arm, and rushed out to meet her, shield-first.

The impact sent Celeste’s body flying away as she dissipated in the void fire. When Lillith landed, staring down at her lover’s ghost, she could only chuckle.

“Go ahead Nightingale, bring her back.” She said, taking Celeste’s sword, that had fallen to the ground when she died. Once Celeste re-materialized at the spot, she handed the sword to her, hilt first.

She nodded to reassure her, then Celeste took the blade, raising it into a ready stance. Lillith’s eyes burned with darkness, as a purple-black smoke began to rise from her armor. Then the Void Light reformed on her arm, a large round shield taking shape.

Celeste moved for an overhead vertical swipe, then changed it to diagonal at the last moment. Unfortunately, she’d used that trick too many times. Lillith ducked under it, popped back up next to her, and sent a quick jab with her shield, annihilating her again.

“Come on now, bring her back, until she learns.” She says, almost sinister in her tone.

Celeste manifests once more, this time Lillith is on the aggressive, making a fast horizontal slice. Celeste takes a quick backstep out of the way, only for Lillith to fling her shield underhanded, crashing into her and destroying her once more.

“Come on Celeste, dethrone me.” She says, now definitely sinister. She drops into a wide stance, sword held forward and shield in front of her, advancing slowly. When Celeste appears, she rushes forward, but Celeste brings forth a sheath of light from her sword, blocking the strike as she’s pushed back, leaving trails in the dirt. Then Lillith jabs forward with the sword, straight through Celeste’s stomach.

The Void energy dissipates, leaving her back to normal. She rests the sword on her shoulder and stands up straight, looking up on her HUD to see she’s in the last ten seconds of the match. She opens her mouth to boast.

Then there’s a gun barrel on the back of her helmet. Seras giggles from behind her. “You get distracted too easily.” Then she fires.


	6. In The Vanguard

Day 6: In The Vanguard

Seras aims, a few centimeters down at the center of white on the Vex Goblin, fires, shifts, fires, shifts, fires….

The goblin squadron is taken down in a swift moment, her hands a rapid blur as she reloads. She turns around, to Lillith ripping the arm off of a Minotaur, and to Celeste spraying a small army with machine gun fire. 

“If I didn’t know any better, I’d swear they weren’t trying to kill us.” Seras notes as she steps up to the cliffside, at the mouth of this enormous cavern, where the Vex are continuing to climb the cliff face.

“If they wanted us dead, the Vex would’ve just teleported all of these up to us. So what the fuck are they doing?” Celeste asks, cradling the light machine gun in her underarm. She glares down at them, then coalesces fire in her hand and flings out a grenade, leaving a sunspot to scorch away they advancing army. Predictably, they sidestepped it with a short ranged teleport, but continued climbing the wall.

“Is it just me, or do they seem….empty somehow? I can usually see a thought behind their eye.” Lillith says, reloading her submachine gun.

Seras turns away, moving further into the cave. “Only one way to find out. We still have that anomaly to track. Zavala, how much further?”

Their comms cracked to life, but too heavy with static for them to understand what was being said. The three looked between each other, then gave a short nod, and quickened their pace into the cavern. Seras hung back just a few paces, if only to give Lillith the first charge into danger.

The static continued, slowly fading the deeper the got into the cave, as darkness slowly began to consume them. Their ghosts activated their lights, but weren’t useful for much than seeing the radiolarian solid ground beneath them. 

Then the static clicked out, one long noise ringing in their ears. Their ghosts tried to speak, but were only silent, as the tone went further and further up in pitch, until they were clutching their ears, falling to the ground in sheer paid as their ears began to bleed.

The tone began to fade, slowly, ever so slowly giving away to a voice, electronic, the distinct synthetic voice of an exo unit.

“Forgive me, Ghost, I had no other way of getting in touch.” They say, their voice thick with a british accent, marking them as a European unit.  
“Where are you!?” Celeste was the first to call out, then the three were blinded by a sudden white light at the end of one enormous cavern. The light traced back to one, monolithic structure, a vex gate, glowing bright in it’s activation sequence.

And mounted atop it, crucified against the radiolarian metal, was the Exo unit, his green shell covered in dents and scratches, the robes of a warlock tattered in pieces across his body, the light of his bond flickering in the distance.

“Forgive me, Guardians, for I can not stop them this time. The conversion is almost complete. All I ask is you let me die.” He says, and then the buzzing fills the room, a thick sulfurous smell filling as the portal rushes to life, an enormous structure suddenly taking shape.

A gate lord, body all covered in chrome like metal, arm cannon slowly charging up to life, takes shape in front of them. The three look between each other, then scatter as the cannon takes aim. Seras dives behind cover, Celeste takes flight, while Lillith dives to the side and keeps moving for a flanking attack. Celeste opens fire with her machine gun as she glides, robe billowing out underneath her. The bullets smash flat against the plated armor of the Vex Lord.

As it raises its fist to send a titanic punch after her, Lillith takes flight, then smashes across the side of it’s head with a void powered shield bash. It’s head turns a full angle, seemingly stuck in place as she descends, taking a harsh impact when she hits the ground.

Seras runs out of cover, her gun exploding into a wreath of flames. She fires six shots in rapid succession, each a beam of solar power that slams into the radiolaria containment unit, cracking the glass in spiderwebs, then slides into cover on the opposite side.

Lillith takes the opportunity, fling out a void-light grenade onto it’s torso, the explosion bursting open the containment unit, then imploding to tear through the metal on the torso, splitting the lord apart. Its wreckage crashes to the floor, then dissipates.

“Come to me now, Guardians. Give me the mercy I crave.” The Exo says, speaking directly into their minds as if he were a Ghost.

The three take their places around the portal, Seras and Celeste ready to fire at anything else that comes through.

“What if I were to take you down from there?” Lillith asks. A pause.

“I would die, but at least I would get a memorial. Do it, Titan.”

Lillith jumps and holds a thought, her body slowly ascending up to eye level with him. She catches her foot on a ledge, grabs him by the shoulder. His eyes are dead, the lights of shell completely gone.  
She gives a firm pull, and she feels cables in the wall giving away, tearing apart, as she rips him free from the Vex gate, and gently lowers herself down with him.


	7. Say My Name

Day 7: Say My Name

Celeste feels herself slowly awakening, her eyelids like dead weight constantly being pulled close. Then the pain hits, her body wracked with aches, her wrists painfully sore. She looks two her side, each of her arms outstretched, leaving her crucified by her bonds. When she looks down, she can see herself hanging a good 30, maybe 40 feet in the air. Then the lights come on.

For a moment she’s blinded by the brightness, until her eyes slowly adjust. A set of enormous steps was laid out before her, a line of legionaries and gladiators across them all. At the top-most step was the Centurion, nearly eye level with her. 

“A guardian, acting as trophy for the Red Legion. How do you feel Guardian?” He says, growling voice booming through the cavern.

“Go fuck yourself.” Celeste said, tired, weak.

“I thought as much. You Guardians….always so arrogant,” Celeste rolled her eyes. She hated monologuing. “I predicted every move you’d make up to this point, exactly how you’d let yourself trapped, because you just can’t resist the thought of destruction.”

The centurion stepped forward, center stage of the bright lights. “I know everything about you warlock; your criminal record, your reckless nature, what the vanguard thinks of you. I even know your true name,” He leans forward then, and she can already feel the anger in her heart. “Cyrus Kor.”

“That is not my name.” She says, barely concealed rage, as burning solar light coalesced in her hand. Her vision turned golden at the edges, the lights fading away, the Centurion being drawn into close focus.

“THAT IS NOT MY NAME!” She screams, the fire burning bright across her arms, blazing fire overtaking her eyes as the wings of a vengeful angel ignite, melting the wall behind, melting her bonds in a fiery red light. The solar light collects in her chest, a burning heat growing and growing, until she opens her mouth, a raw inferno of rageful light exploding out to cover the Legionaries, bathing them in a purifying destruction.

Her wings spread as she descends, a molten gold blade slowly extending from her palm. Her arms tremble with the power overflowing, sweat falling from her brow, wiped away by waves of heat.

She rushes forward in a divine explosion of power, shattering the Centurions shield in a single movement. He draws his wrist blade just in time to clash against the Dawnblade, even as the metal sparks with overwhelming heat.

She looks up at him, directly into his helmet, gold-red eyes burning fear into his very soul. She drags the blade down, a hissing sound of metal as she brings it away, then thrusts the blade straight through the center of his stomach.

“Say my name.” She snarls, driving the molten blade deeper.

He grunts, tries to speak, and then she ascends, slamming his body against the roof and impaling him.

“I SAID SAY MY FUCKING NAME!” She screams, turning the blade in him, then pushing herself along solar lines of fire, dragging his body across the roof with a molten trail behind him, dripping down onto the floor.

She makes a vertical slice, throwing him off the blade and down to the floor. She lands next to him, as he gurgles and tries to stand up. The blade draws into, forming into a single sphere of pure solar energy.

“CELESTE,” She speaks, as the molten core turns into a bright, shining light. “KOR!” She cries out, as she thrusts her arm forward, blinding Light projected from her palm and sizzling as it burns him away, smiting him across the floor of the cavern.

She steps back, taking a deep breath as the solar energy fades, as the Centurion’s cadaver slowly settles into ashes. She closes her eyes, the fire in them snuffed out like a candle.

“Nightingale,” She says, and her ghost materializes next to her. “Contact the Vanguard, give them my location.”


	8. The Legacy Of The Golden Age

Day 8: Legacy of The Golden Age

“Lillith, for fifth time, I swear on my life that these Eliksni are not going to kill you, and you need to stop calling them Fallen.” Seras said, she angled the beast of a jumpship that was Lillith’s minerva-class into range of the Ketch. 

Lillith made a grumbling noise as she crossed my arms. “It’s just...we’re literally walking into a fortress here. That’s a ketch! A ketch! This could be a trap!”

Celeste was further back in the ship, past the cockpit and into the miniature dorm in the back, laying on a bed with her legs crossed. “I’d trust Seras here. When it comes to the Fallen at least, she’s never wrong. Remember when she said that one servitor was going to self destruct? Or that pain-in-the-ass Captain who was just baiting us into an ambush? Or how about the time we circumvented an entire den and found a back entrance? All of that was on Seras. She knows them better than you and me.” She offered, then went back to staring at the ceiling.

“Besides,” Seras continued for her. “If it were really a trap, why wait for us to have a fighting chance? Why not blow us out to space right now?”

Lillith looked away, holding her breath, then letting it out in a loud sigh. “I guess you’re right. I’m sorry, it’s just--”

“I know.” Seras cut her off, saving Lillith the discomfort of having to say it out loud. The rest of the trip continued in awkward, but welcome silence. Seras carefully docked the Minerva into the docking bay the Ketch, talking with the bay control operators over their comms in Fallen-speak.

When they had settled down, a welcome party of Vandals had moved up to greet them, flanked by four wretches. Each of the guardians transmatted out of the ship and stepped in front of them, Seras first. Then, Seras saw someone familiar, a Vandal wearing more purple than armor…

“Tykis!” She calls out, and the Vandal immediately bounces in place, running after Seras and leaping into her outstretched arms. Tykis wraps three of her arms around her, the last one holding her shrapnel launcher away from the bystanders.

Seras pulled her head back, nuzzling her face against Tykis’ ether mask. “Traveller, you’re just as beautiful as I remember you.” She said, a dreamy tone in her voice. Tykis squeezed her eyes, the Fallen version of a smile, and spoke back to her in Eliksni.

“You only get more pretty every time I see you.” Seras blushed from the compliment, looking away as Tykis dropped down to solid land. She excitedly chattered to Seras, about how they modified the Ketch’s life support in anticipation of their arrival so they could breathe easier, that they’ve been preparing Fallen delicacies for them to feast on--only the ones safe for Awoken to eat, of course.

And then a loud footstep put everyone into silence. The enormous figure, clad entirely in armor, with the elaborate headdress that denoted her rank and gender, stepped into view from one massive door at the end of the docking bay. Towering over the guardians with her imposing physique, her cloak covered her heavy armor, draping down to her ankles. One of her arms was clearly a cybernetic replacement, seemingly made from old golden age tech. Her chest plate was decorated with plates from Vex units, Cabal insignias of rank and legion, and inert Hive runestones.

When the Baron approached, the Fallen around her separated and bowed on one knee, arms outstretched behind them and heads angled down. The guardians followed in suite, which drew a laugh from the Baron.

“Stand up Seras, you’re too good a friend to be bowing before me.” She holds out one hand, and Seras takes her by the wrist, being pulled up to her feet in a single move.

“We’ve been preparing the feast for you, guardians. Come with me.” The Baron turned around then, walking away and expecting them to follow. Tykis eagerly bounded along with the guardians, holdings hands with Seras the whole way.

“My name is Irikos, one time Kell of the House of Chains, now Baron of the House of Dusk. All you look upon is mine.” Lillith felt a nervous lump in her throat, as she passed a banner across one wall, depicting four diamonds linked in a chain. 

“Your companion, Warlock, I do not know your name.” The Baron says, blue eyes looking over her shoulder at Celeste.

“My name is Celeste Kor.” She says firmly, careful not to show hesitation or weakness.

“Are you kethazri?” The baron asks, and Celeste gives her a look.

“I don’t know that term.”

The baron gives a short look to Seras, who quickly explains. “It’s kind of slang, literal translation meaning ‘bodychanger’. She’s asking if you’re trans.” 

Celeste nods. “I am trans.” She digs her heel in slightly, gritting her teeth.

“Would you like help….changing? It’s a common enough process among our own kind.” She says, almost dismissively.

“I…” Celeste nearly trips as she walks, suddenly off balance with wide eyes. “I think...I think I would like that.”

The Baron makes a low trill of acknowledgement. “I’ll make the arrangements, how long do you intend to stay?” She asks. Seras speaks before any of them.

“A few days is fine, we can sleep in our ship so we don’t disturb the crew, although I would like to make visits to my lover.”

The Baron seemed to almost giggle, but was more like a hyena’s laugh.

“And half my crew will disappear as well, I know what you’re after Seras.”

Seras blushed. “Not like that, I’ve just missed Tykis.” Tykis nuzzled up to Seras in response, who only nuzzled back harder.

Then the Baron rounded a left corner, standing before another great door, much like a thickly armored vault door.

“You’re about to be treated to a feast. My house….my people rarely get luxuries like this. Please show us kindness. I can hear your hearts beating in fear, smell the caution on your skin. I assure you, the House of Chains is loyal to our friends, and the friends of friends. Step forward guardian, and dine with my captains, my Aspiring Archons, my entire crew.” Then she stepped forward, the doors slowly opening, just in time for her to fully step through.

The dining hall must’ve been the most massive portion of the ship, spanning several dozen meters out, with a cavernous ceiling and one enormous table down the full length of the ship, where dreg servants were putting out enormous plates of alien foods that the guardians had never even seen before. Seras herself could only name a few of the dishes, most of which she had only heard about, never seen.

Baron Irikos made her way down the long table, to one of two thrones that loomed at the end of the hall, made from intricately carved granite, solid as a mountain, and with the sigil of the House of Dusk and House of Chains etched into the portion that towered high above Irikos’ head.

“Sit, Guardians, my crew will join us shortly.”


	9. They See Me Rollin

Day Nine: They See Me Rollin’

“Are you sure these modifications are legal?” Lillith asked with an eyebrow raised.

Tykis and Seras gave her the most incredulous look possible. They looked to each other, then back to Lillith.

“It’s a pike race, there’s no such thing as “illegal modification.” Unless it kills more than just the rider.” Seras says, going back to the careful projector of installing a booster that was definitely every form of illegal.

“Where did you even get this damn thing?” Celeste asks, crouched down so she can watch her work.

“I stole it from Cayde. Don’t worry, he won’t tell anyone.” She says, then looks up and asks Tykis to pass her a tool in Eliksni.

“And why won’t he tell anyone?” Lillith asked, leaning back a bit and crossing her arms.

“Because he stole it from me first.” She says, than gives Tykis a kiss on the snout and thanks her, going back to working.

Lillith lets out a loud sigh. “WHO did you steal it from ORIGINALLY?”

“Don’t you dare snitch on me to Holliday.” She says, pointing the clampers threateningly at Lillith.

“I’m going to snitch on you.” Lillith said, making Seras throw her hands up in exasperation.

“Fine! I’ll give it back as soon as we get back to the tower! Are you happy?” She says, not waiting for a reply before she starts cursing in Eliksni, trying to get the last wire setup. When it finally clicks into place, she steps back, her arms out carefully, her mouth just slightly gaping in an O.

Then she whispers in Fallen-speak. “Tykis I think we did it.”

Tykis starts jumping and clapping immediately, Seras joining her shamelessly, while Celeste looked at Lillith with raw pain in her eyes.

“Come on then, help me carry this beast to the starting line.” She said, Celeste and Lillith begrudgingly helping her flip the sparrow, and then lift it the short distance to the starting line. By now, most of the Fallen had already set up their pikes, doing last minute tune-ups and once-overs to make sure they were in prime condition. The Vandal in charge of the events kept a banner leaning on his shoulder, watching a chronometer on his wrist for the exact time. 

By the time they managed to set the Sparrow in position, the Vandal had waved at the rest of the contestants, yelling in Fallen-speak to finish preparations and step aside. Seras waved as her girlfriends walked away, joining the crowd of spectators to the side of the racing track, on a hill high enough to see the full breadth of the path. Seras mounted onto her sparrow, clicking on the start up.  
The Sparrow raised itself a good foot over the ground then, engine slowly trilling up to life, metal plates rattling slightly. Wherever she got the piece of junk, her team would never know, but they couldn’t deny it’s actual effectiveness. 

The Fallen stands at a space between the line of Pikes (and one Sparrow), raises his flag, and begins a count to three.

One…

The engine roars, heat swelling up behind her, making her cloak billow out.

Two….

The Fallen look between each other, sneers and growls exchanged, but Seras only stares on ahead. 

Three…

The engines scream to life, Seras disappearing in a sudden burst of movement. Each of the pikes takes off after her, slamming on the afterburners in desperation to catch up to her. In a hard pull, she makes the turn of the track with enough force to nearly split her in half.

Then she sees a solid lump of granite in front of her, tries to spin too late, and smashes clean into it with a fiery explosion, her body annihilated in the inferno.

The crowd of spectators gasp and cover their mouths, all save for Lillith.

“Just give her a second.”

Seras’ ghost appears, opening its shell to begin reforming the light and resurrecting her, once Seras materializes, she looks straight to her ghost.

“Hey, do you think you can bring the sparrow back, but with the--”

Dickinson only narrows her eye at Seras. “No.”


End file.
